Abbr.
BY FRANK RILEY
Brevity was the new watchword.
Vrythg dgstd stht lsrcdb njyd.
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Worlds of If Science Fiction, February 1957.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Walther Von Koenigsburg woke up a few moments after the earth shuttlehad passed Venus. As he gazed back at the lonely, shrouded planet,abandoned long ago when Man won freedom to colonize more habitableworlds in deep space, Walther realized that in just a matter of minuteshis long pilgrimage would be over. Soon he would walk down the ramp andset foot on Earth—the almost mythical homeland of his people. Waltherwas young enough, and old enough, not to be ashamed of the suddenchoking in his throat, the moisture in his eyes.
A light touch on his shoulder brought him back to the shuttle ship. Thepert stewardess smiled at his start.
"Wyslgsr," she asked pleasantly.
Or at least that's what it sounded like to Walther, whose ears werestill ringing from the take off at the Cyngus III shuttleport.
"I beg your pardon," he began. "I'm afraid...."
For a moment she looked startled, then her full, red lips parted inanother bright smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I didn't realize ... I just asked,Sir, whether you had been sleeping."
She spoke with the mechanical, stilted perfection he had first notedwhen transferring from the Aldebaran liner at the shuttleport. He hadwondered, briefly, about the source of the accent, but had been toopolite to ask.
The stewardess put a small pillow in his lap, then placed a tray onit. The recessed compartments of the tray held a cup of steaming blackcoffee, a piece of pastry that reminded Walther of apfelstrudel, and apaper-covered booklet entitled: "Easy Earth Dictionary and OrientationManual". Stamped on the cover, in the manner of an official seal, werethe words: "Prepared under the authorization of Happy Time, Ltd."
"Thank you," said Walther, then he grinned buoyantly, eager to sharethese moments of excitement at being so close to Earth. "But I don'tthink I'll need the dictionary!"
Tiny frown lines appeared between the stewardess's carefully archedeyebrows.
"Hg su'v rthsr?" she inquired uncertainly.
"I don't understand...."
The stewardess managed a professional smile that was edged with justthe faintest touch of impatience.
"That's what I thought. What I asked, Sir, was how long since you'vebeen on Earth?"
"This is my first visit!"
"Then you had better study the dictionary," she said firmly.
"Oh, no, I really don't need it!" Walther's inner excitement showedin the flush of his fair Nordic complexion. He turned toward her in aburst of confidence. "You see, my people always kept alive their nativelanguages. My father's side of the family was German ... and downthrough all the generations they've managed to teach the language totheir children! It was the same way with my mother's family, who wereEnglish...." Pride came into his voice: "I could speak both languagesby the time I was four."
"And you've never taken this shuttle from Cyngus?"
"I've never been on Cyngus before—nor on Aldebaran VI—Deneb II—orArcturus IX," explained Walther, naming the farflung way station acrossthe galaxy. He added: "I'm on my way in from Neustadt—Andromeda, youknow."
Respect replaced the hint of impatience in the stewardess's smile,which instantly became more personal. Not for gener